Rehabilitation, Stalin Style, In The Age Of Obama

Aug 19, 2013

While candidate Barack Obama promised to "fundamentally transform America," many of his acolytes are taking it one very scary step further. Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is one.
Recently, he said it was the state's job to "rehabilitate" certain citizens. Although we are in the midst of a significant debate on Obamacare, as it's funding deadline approaches, he wasn't referring to taxpayer funding of certain physical therapy or mandating insurance policies and private organizations to cover such costs. Oh, were it that innocent.

No, unfortunately, the same-sex "marriage" supporter aimed his remark at Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa in Portland after they declined to hire out their services for a lesbian "wedding." The term "rehabilitate, straight from the Stalin-era Soviet gulags and Communist China, means to forcibly retrain an individual to think in the collectivist, authoritarian terms of the state. Otherwise known as brainwashing. (The lesbians have filed suit against the Kleins.)

The National Organization for Marriage Blog cites an article from The Oregonian newspaper in which Avakian said, "The goal is never to shut down a business. The goal is to rehabilitate." (Of course he doesn't want to shut down the business. He probably wants the state to control it which, in effect, it will if he can force the Kleins to do business the government's way — which, in turn, would put it out of business anyway.)

Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, also recalled communism's dictatorial methods of control:

To say that this couple needs to be "rehabilitated" for believing and practicing the values on which this nation was founded is entirely beyond the pale.

This sounds like Stalinist Russia or China under Mao, where those who thought for themselves were forced under government coercion into re-education camps. This is not the America that was given to us by our Founders.

Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action, said the "rehabilitation" remark indicates a mental or physical illness that needs repair:

You know, we rehabilitate criminals. Are they saying that Christianity is criminal here and we have to rehabilitate those who embrace the Christian sexual ethic? That's what this official in Oregon is saying.

The hypocrisy of Avakian and the secular left is that it argues, incorrectly, that homosexuals' rights of freedom of association rights are violated when they cannot "marry," but wants to force people of a religious conviction to associate themselves with an action to which they fundamentally object. That's not a type of rehab that makes anyone feel better, except dictators and strongmen. While we don't have political dictators here, the secular left has cultivated what Pope Benedict the XVI called the "Dictatorship of Relativism," which prevailing, fad philosophies which defile the Truth corrupt convention, the culture and, ultimately, souls without them knowing it, ostracizing and damning those who disagree.

Then-candidate Obama adamantly opposed homosexual marriage as contrary to his Christian beliefs. He now, of course, supports it as part of his transformation of our country and its Judeo-Christian traditions and traditional understanding of the constitution. Imagine, if the President of the United States can be "rehabilitated," we all can.

Aaron and Melissa Klein of Portland, Ore., are facing a lawsuit for refusing to cater a so-called "lesbian wedding," and intimidation from a high ranking state official.

Medicaid is Crowding-Out Free Clinics

Medicaid is Crowding-Out Free Clinics

The Family Foundation consistently warned that government expansion of Medicaid would increase in demand and cost. But it is also clear now that government expansion of Medicaid is crowding-out charitable and nonprofit organizations currently providing the same service. As more Medicaid eligible patients register, the less patients that free and charitable clinics will have to serve. And without a steady number of patients to serve, free medical clinics will ultimately experience a decline in state and private funding.

WATCH: Eric Metaxes Inspires at 2017 Family Foundation Gala

WATCH: Eric Metaxes Inspires at 2017 Family Foundation Gala

As promised, I wanted you to get the video LINK to The Family Foundation’s 2017 Gala program. If you weren’t there, bestselling author and radio commentator Eric Metaxes kept the attendees of the packed convention room hanging on his every word, and I wanted to make sure you had the chance to see it for yourself. And if you were with us that evening, you’re probably interested in watching it again. Either way, please SHARE THIS with your friends and family.

You will definitely be encouraged by his timely and insightful message to people of faith in an ever-darkening culture.

I also want you to have the chance to hear from me as well, as I spoke about the value and importance of ordinary people “stepping up” in often small but hugely impactful ways. I also share my vision and sense of renewed purpose for The Family Foundation in the challenging years ahead.

If you weren’t able to join us, you will definitely want to watch it now. I hope you will be enlightened, encouraged, and inspired by what you see and hear.

Note to ACLU: Join Us!

Note to ACLU: Join Us!

It’s good when organizations that often find themselves on opposite sides can work together. At The Family Foundation, we’ve sought opportunities to join coalitions of diverse groups on important issues that shouldn’t be partisan. That’s why we’ve worked with groups like the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and others on ending the shackling of pregnant prison inmates, and with similar coalitions on financial reparations for victims of eugenics, foster and kinship care issues and others.

So we were thrilled the other day when we saw that the ACLU agrees with The Family Foundation when it comes to following laws regarding the creation and removal of regulations. You see, the federal government has to follow the federal Administrative Procedure Act and Virginia government has to follow the state Administrative Process Act. These laws, as boring and cumbersome as they are, ensure that presidents and governors – or the entities tasked with regulations – cannot act unfettered. It’s a rule of law thing.

Recently we learned that the ACLU is suing President Trump for his decision to undo a requirement that religious entities pay for their employees’ birth control under the ACA. One of the arguments they are making is that the Trump administration violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act (APA) because they allege the interim rules were released without complying with the APA’s notice and public comment requirements.

Coincidentally, that is exactly the argument being made by plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the McAuliffe administration, partially funded by The Family Foundation, after McAuliffe’s Board of Health failed to comply with the state’s APA on not just public comment requirements, but multiple other provisions as well, as it watered down health and safety standards for abortion centers. You see, following the law kinda matters, or at least it should.

Yet, to this point, the ACLU of Virginia has been strangely silent on the McAuliffe administration’s blatant violation of the law, while the ACLU national headquarters has already filed suit against Trump – though whether or not the Trump administration actually did violate APA is a matter of great question.

I’ll go on record now to say if President Trump violated the federal APA, his policy decision should be reversed and put through the proper legal channels. You see, it shouldn’t matter who the executive is or if you agree or disagree with the ultimate policy in question. The law should be followed to get to the desired end. Given the ACLU’s history of, well, let’s just say less than accurate legal arguments, I’m not super confident that their case against the President has merit, but time will tell.

I can tell you that there is no question the McAuliffe administration violated the law, numerous times. So, it would seem, if the rule of law matters to the ACLU as much as they claim, they should be joining our lawsuit any day now.